In the Beginning
by Arashi Uzumaki-Namikaze
Summary: He has failed one too many times for him to feel right about this. He is the only one left, every time, and every time, the Leech is three steps ahead of him. Obito is given a chance to change things without the influence of the Leech, and is sent back in time one last time. He can't fail again, and this time, he will set things right. First in the Ascension Saga.
1. Prologue

**(A/N: Welcome, all, to my replacement story for _Moonlit Fox_. This begins with the main character of the first sequence, which will be setting up the universe. I will be posting a series of connected chapters, but please understand that this entire story is meant as a prologue to the larger arc. I hope this helps explain things. Of course, it is also intended as a teaser for the rest of the story, which is why it's the _prologue_ ).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ or _Sailor Moon_ , nor do I own anything else you might think I do. However, the prophecy, as well as the current plot line, I _do_ own. **

He opened his eyes, once again in the Void. He couldn't see, couldn't feel, couldn't even breathe; and yet, he could feel despair.

It was overwhelming, almost crushing him.

He was almost choking on it.

If he'd been alive, he would be.

He'd failed again.

It hadn't even taken him that _long_ compared to previous repeats.

He didn't know what he was doing wrong. He'd done everything asked of him. He'd maneuvered around that damn thing but it had to be learning from him. It had maneuvered like it knew what he was doing.

That little girl. Damn. One girl, one little orphan was the key this time.

He didn't even know her name. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

Her Voice echoed round him, then, and he listened **_"YOU HAVE FAILED ME AGAIN."_**

There was no point in arguing. He _had_ failed, even after everything he'd done to stop it, after everything he'd tried. Everything She had given him was for naught if the universe kept resetting itself like this. Kept dying, putting him into the Void when he died.

Had he been any other soul, he would have been splintering by now. Breaking under the force of the world breaking.

She had even denied him Her warmth this time.

Now, all he wanted was a body so he could cry his eyes out.

Here, in the Void, he held no power. He had nothing. He was just a failure.

Just a weak, stupid crybaby.

Why _had_ She chosen him, anyway? Out of everyone, clearly he was the worst choice. Even if he was still conscious, what grounds did She have to choose him on, except being a stubborn idiot who just wouldn't stop trying? Couldn't stop trying, no matter how much it hurt?

He didn't know how long it was before the Voice returned, bringing with it Her warmth, wrapping his soul within it, and he hated it, hated how it was absolving him even when She had yet to forgive him.

 ** _"THIS TIME, IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT,"_** boomed Her Voice, and he started. Her Forgiveness and Absolution was everything, so much better than even the best counseling, healing the shattered parts of his soul. The pressure eased. ** _"THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOU SINCE THE BEGINNING. COME, WE WLL DISCUSS THIS TOGETHER."_**

He was wrapped in warmth, almost crying, whimpering in His Mother's embrace, when the cold harshness of the Void vanished.

 _—He could feel nothing—_

And then, he was in a body again, though more like a physical form of his soul. Light curled around him, warmer and brighter than anything he'd ever felt before. He was in a garden, _Her_ garden if he remembered correctly, standing beneath beautiful blooming cherry trees. He glanced down at himself, surprised that he hadn't changed all that much.

He looked to be about fifteen again. The same age he was every time he went back. Short, black hair and his hitai-ate around his forehead, short strap tickling at his slow-to-grow sideburns. His hands were callused and scarred, darker than normal—he looked like Minato-oji, not his first life's form. And his nails were diamond-hard and sharp, as were his teeth, as usual. He could feel his bangs when he reached up to feel his face, as well as the scar through his left eye.

He was wearing a dark blue kimono, the _obi_ tied in such a way that meant he was showing respect. Beneath it, nothing. As it always was.

Approaching him was Her. In the closest approximation of a Godly form that he could comprehend. She had beautiful, crimson hair pinned back from Her face using a trail of cherry blossoms, almost a flower crown. Her skin was alabaster white, Her eyes brilliance themselves, the color of the sunlight. She was his height, but She dwarfed him in all ways. Her kimono was pink, patterned with suns and cherry blossoms, and She glided toward him effortlessly, footsteps silent upon the grass.

Kenshin, as he had grown used to calling himself, bowed his head immediately, sinking to his knees "My Goddess," he said reverently, dropping his eyes to the grass.

 ** _"Enough,"_** Her voice was nowhere near his, nowhere near human. **_"You have no need to fear me, my Chosen. This was not your fault, Kishidan."_** He swallowed, about to argue, as he raised his eyes to Hers **_"I have received word from my brothers and sisters that they have had Eyes on you."_**

Oh, _all the kami above_ , no.

He got to his feet, when She indicated he could, instantly standing in _geta_ that hadn't been there before. He remained balanced, despair slowly ebbing, to be replaced with righteous anger.

"How did you ignore that?" demanded Kenshin. "How did we miss it?"

She looked at him, Her gaze sharp on him **_"I do not know. I have no intention of letting that Leech follow through time again. It has been traveling back since the first time, along with you. It was using your temporal trails, the traces of darkness in your soul, and Fate's own strings, to unravel the timeline we are saving."_** She sounded extremely angry. **_"To that end, we will be visiting Shinigami and Inari to restore you. Your luck should not have been this bad. I should have foreseen this."_**

Kenshin shook his head "With all due respect, no, you shouldn't have. This thing hides from even the greatest of the _kami_ ," Her eyes narrowed at him, and he tilted his head, raising an eyebrow "With that in mind, if it's tying itself to the Namikaze bloodline, or to a soul, it's going to be a lot harder to see without you looking for it."

She snorted **_"Regardless, this is my fault. Follow me,"_** his _geta_ vanished, and Kenshin followed her into the grove of cherry trees that suddenly emerged, intermixed with several trees from the Namikazes' ancient home.

Kenshin could hear the goddess mumbling to herself, cursing and trying to figure out just when they had been compromised. Such a compromised state was seriously dangerous for the timeline. No matter what, if Fate had been corrupted, they were gone.

And it seemed Fate had become corrupted, if they were allowing this Leech to follow him.

He had no intention of letting that malevolent Balance goddess have any more sway than she already did. She'd already spoken to him several times, trying to deter him from letting the world fall. To her, life was Fated to end. Setsuna, Trista, whatever her name was; she was _not_ the one in charge of the Fates of all mortals, and yet whoever Fate had been, this was who she was now. The only way to destroy her was to finalize the Ascension of The Three.

She'd been working actively to kill them. The Fate in this dimension was powerless to affect demigods, but in hers, it was absolute. Both Fates were constantly at odds, meaning it was constantly the _hour of human choice_. Kenshin was the product of such a choice, and he'd thought their Fate was gaining ground.

It seemed that was not the case.

They emerged into a clearing filled with daffodils and daisies, in which two other beings were standing.

First, there was Shinigami-sama, regal and stately in a pure white _hakama_ , his twin _katana-_ length blades at his sides. He towered over them both, long spiky white hair tied back from his face with a leather cord. His black skin and ice-blue eyes were unnerving, no less because of his preferred face, which was that of a snarling _oni_. His face was distinctly demonic with an elongated jaw and extremely sharp white teeth, showing almost a gaping maw. However, as this was not Kenshin's first meeting with him, it was not quite so terrifying.

Inari-sama was new. She, for this _kami_ had chosen to appear before him in a feminine form, had long, silky blonde hair the same color as Sunkit's. It was curled expertly and left wavy down her back, reaching almost to her ankles, intertwining with her many tails, Kitsune ears atop her head as usual. She was clad in a jade-green elegant _qipao_ , with gray pants, and her eyes were bright green, and reminded him painfully of Sunkit's. Her face, now, was similar in color to Kenshin's hands, and when their eyes met he could see a violet diamond shape on her forehead. She was smirking at him.

 ** _"Step forward,"_** Shinigami said, and Kenshin did so without question.

He drew a blade from within his robes, one with a simple bone-white handle and a long blade made of what appeared to be solidified obsidian, or a rock much like it, with darkness trailing off it. The _kami_ circled around Kenshin's form, eyeing it up and down, and then sheathed it again. Kenshin saw him smirk out of the corner of his eye.

 ** _"Can you remove it?"_** demanded Amaterasu-sama.

 ** _"Yes,"_** said Shinigami, but he paused, **_"You, Namikaze-Uchiha Obito,"_** Kenshin met those eerie, terrifying blue eyes. **_"You gave your life for my descendant this time."_** He nodded. **_"There are two ways to remove it. This is by far the more dangerous, but it will give you more of a chance."_** The Shinigami drew out the obsidian blade again **_"I will guide you to a girl in return, one who has the potential to turn this war in your favor."_** Amaterasu frowned slightly, but then Shinigami winked at her, obviously sharing something with Her, and She smiled. **_"Namikaze-Uchiha Obito, often known as Abarai Kenshin, you have Earned this Gift."_**

Kenshin—Obito—stiffened. He had gone through life with only Amaterasu-sama's Gifts, on these repeats. He wasn't sure how they would respond to the addition of a new Gift, but Amaterasu-sama was smiling, and nodded when he looked to Her for guidance. She would never steer him wrong when it came to Divine Gifts.

Even so, he knew it was a choice. Shinigami-sama had paused, staring him in the eyes. As per the rules, it wasn't described at all.

 ** _"Do you wish to accept this Gift?"_** The rules stated explicitly that he wasn't even able to say what it was.

"Will it require anything more from me than what I have already given, and plan to give again?" countered Obito with a smirk.

The Shinigami shook his head **_"It only requires acceptance."_**

He could do this. It was more dangerous, but it would give him a bigger chance.

How the hell did anyone think he would refuse? Obito had never gone through life thinking things through. His gut told him this was good, so he went for it.

"I, Namikaze-Uchiha Obito, accept this Divine Gift, Shinigami-sama. I, as Abarai Kenshin, do also accept this Gift."

Anything that would let him save his Cub, Koneko and Sunkit would be something he took over death _every single time_. It didn't matter how old he was. It didn't matter what it did to him in the end. He was dead, and he had nearly been devoured three times by the Leech, only to be saved at the last by Amaterasu-sama. His precious people were gone; all devoured by this damned thing.

At this point, his only goal was to get his precious people through this, alive. It didn't matter what it cost him to do so. Failure was no longer an option.

 ** _"Very well,"_** Shinigami-sama smiled at him, extending the blade, and with a swift movement, stabbed Obito through the chest of his soul.

He coughed, once. Then he was abruptly reminded of why Divine Gifts were painful. He had received far worse in his life, or so he thought, and then _pain_ erupted through his entire soul, something so hot it burned his very center alive. He was drowning in fire when he saw it, a brilliance behind his eyes and the feeling of _ultimate death_ overtaking him, at least for a moment. He felt life leave him, all existence erased in the void.

All Obito knew was pain.

He wasn't sure how long the pain lasted.

When he returned to himself, he was no longer in a kimono. Nor was he fifteen. Now, he looked closer to twenty, with height and bearing, and he now had a long katana strapped across his back, warm against his back in his ANBU uniform, which was far more comfortable than a _hakama_. Shinigami-sama 's sword was still inside his chest, but when the _kami_ removed it, this time it didn't hurt at all.

And when he looked down at himself, he was surprised to see his skin had turned a dark gray, with runes patterned across his hands, tribal symbols in gold. He felt something like _death_ pulse through his soul, but knew, instinctively, that such a gift could Heal as well as Bring Death. Shinigami-sama, like Amaterasu-sama, had seen to his initial training, before his first failure and after, and had added in memories and skills to help him command his new powers.

A part of him now felt fire. Like something at his core, with the pulsing of his blade. It…it was a _sword_ of sorts, but it was… _alive_. It had its own soul, one now bound to his. He stared at Shinigami-sama, who gave him a smile of sorts (he thought), a not-nice expression on the god, and nodded respectfully to Obito before stepping back.

 ** _"You are now my Knight as well as your Goddess's. I will grant the same gift to your charges, those who need it. In return, you are now bound to protect those I Mark, as well."_**

Obito bowed from the waist, respectful of the one whose offer he had just accepted "As you wish, Shinigami-sama. May I ask you for guidance, as I do Amaterasu-sama?" Shinigami nodded, satisfied with his answer.

Then Inari, _kami_ of Foxes, Kitsune, Youko and Chaos stepped forward. Well, perhaps not chaos, exactly, but something close. _Nature_ , Obito's new nature whispered at him. _Mischief. Fox._

She—they—looked beautiful.

Inari-sama surprised him by bowing before him from the waist, hair brushing the grass before they rose **_"I thank thee, Namikaze-Uchiha Obito, for your respect and care for my temples, and your guarding my Avatar. Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto is Known and Mine, by Heritage. Your wisdom is why I wish to call upon you for aid now."_**

Obito bowed back to the _kami_ "How may I help, Inari-sama?" he inquired. "I do not intend to stop my work in the world below."

 ** _"I do not intend to stop you,"_** said Inari, amused, **_"Instead, I would give you my Blessing. While I am not allowed to directly interfere, as I already have an Avatar, you are in need of my luck, at the very least. I am also known as Lady Luck,"_** then Inari winked, and Lady Luck took their place, clad in golden shimmering fabric, with short, white hair, dark skin, and beautiful fire-colored eyes, albeit the same height as Inari's other form. **_"As I cursed the Uchiha Clan, I intend to remove your curse, as well as your direct relatives' curses, if you desire it. In exchange I would only ask that you continue as you have. You have Earned this Divine Gift, and My Blessing."_**

Inari-sama, Luck-dono…no matter who they were, they had definitely broken the rules. But Obito could tell this time, somehow, that it was allowed. He decided to accept. Amaterasu-sama and Shinigami-sama only looked amused. And he could use it, as could the rest of his family.

Obito would give anything to let them live this time. Just once he would give _anything_ to let this world be saved from that Trista woman. He bowed respectfully to Inari-sama.

"I accept, Inari-sama," the Fox put their hand on his shoulder and Obito gasped, divine power rippling through his entire being as he felt like his hands were exploding.

Something dark screamed in the back of his mind, something small, trying to break the connection, but Inari-sama burnt it out, and suddenly Obito could feel the entire _world beneath his feet_ , could feel it pulsing like his blade, and tears gathered in his eyes as something warm filled its place. The colors of the entire godly realm suddenly sharpened, becoming extremely visible to his eyes. Inari-sama turned, and planted a kiss upon his suddenly bare brow, and he felt his hair lengthen, growing to resemble a mixture of Minato-oji's and Uchiha Madara's.

He shook it out, surprised when he saw red and gold streaks, the same color as Minato-oji's and Kushina-oba's in his hair, as well as a tiny moon-white tip to each large spike. Inari-sama smiled at him as his hair shifted again, to his preferred length, which was much shorter, but now…

This felt good. More than that, this felt _right_. For once in his life, _he wasn't_ the unlucky one. He was at peace.

Obito bowed, trying not to smile as he realized the lingering hopelessness and despair was all but gone.

It was as if that darkness had magnified it. It was still present, still very much _there_ and he had little doubt that sleep would be difficult, but it was to nearly so magnified as before.

 ** _"We should have seen it sooner,"_** Amaterasu-sama bowed low to him, startling Obito into nearly sinking to his knees. **_"For this, I apologize. You have suffered much, my Warrior, for events that are not your fault."_**

Obito bowed back, feeling more forgiven than he had in all previous repeats "This monster hides from even you, Amaterasu-sama. It is my hope that I will be more aware of it in the future," he smirked "With the loss of the curse, I will likely be more aware of it if the Leech latches onto me again."

Left unsaid was the fact that he might even sense it nearby now. It felt as though his eyes were clearer than they had been in decades, and Obito, no matter how old he was, intended to make use of that.

 ** _"That curse was what it was latching onto,"_** said Shinigami-sama, nodding **_"Its removal prevents it from repeating with you. It will believe you will make the same mistakes as last time. Do not. You have an advantage now, Obito."_**

"I will not waste it," swore Obito, hand over his chest in the traditional salute he had used since his first death. "We have an advantage. Send me back. I will even try to save Sasuke-chan, if I can." The gods grinned, as one—well, Inari-sama and Amaterasu-sama did, the other was difficult to tell—and the realm of the gods spun around him, faster and faster until he began to feel sick.

Abruptly, his vision went black, and searing, white hot fire surged through him.

His last thought as he fell into unconsciousness was that now, he might finally have a chance, with his luck fixed, and the curse gone.

And that was one chance the Leech would forever regret giving him.

 **(End Notes: Bet you weren't expecting me to do that with Obito, huh? I really liked Obito until he went crazy in Shippuden/whatever arc that was. I was really disappointed to find out that Obito killed Minato and Kushina, especially since it seems like Genin and their Jounin sensei are fairly close.**

 **For anyone confused, Kenshin is the name he chose when he "graduated" from his training and was sent forth his first time. Kenshin is how he thinks of himself a lot of the time, and for the _majority_ of the next story he will be known by the name Kenshin if the scene is from his POV. He considers the name Obito to be less who he is these days.**

 **His current position (when alive) is very similar to that of a paladin/cleric cross from _Dungeons and Dragons_ or, for those of you familiar with it, a mixture _World of Warcraft_ Paladin and Shaman. He's not quite the same as either, but this is close enough for context. (Divinely empowered warrior/fighter/shinobi.)**

 **Physically, Obito arrives in a 20yr old body every time he 'repeats' in the midst of his prime.**

 **The Void is what exists outside the Realms and worlds, _and is also_ outside the different "afterlife" realms.**

 **Koneko = Kitten**

 **Yes, he needs help, but the only one he can really confess to is Amaterasu, or after this chapter, also Shinigami and Inari. In this universe, this is considered better than seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist if you are depressed or anxious, since the gods (kami) take a more active role in this universe than any godly being does in ours.** **)**


	2. Chapter One: A Paladin's Return

**(A/N: Obito returns to Konoha, as Kenshin Abarai, one last time. He genuinely hopes this is the last time.**

 **This Obito is sad, and lonely. As I said, Obito Needs Help. (And hugs. Hugs would help a lot. Sadly he's not going to get those for awhile.)**

 **He brings with him grave tidings and a warning from Amaterasu-sama, Lady of Light, and Guardian of the Faithful. He also manipulates timing and pranks ANBU. Konoha's about to receive a shaking-down, the likes of which it's never seen before.**

 **So, I added a few OCs knowing that in the Naruto world people tend to underestimate the size of shinobi forces, and knowing that there is no possible way that Kishimoto introduced us to even half of them. For example, the random Uchiha and other guards manning the gate in the first part of this story. I figure in a universe in which children become warriors in training at the age of 12-13 there is a good reason for many to survive to adulthood, and doubly so with the akuma and youkai i've introduced, for them to be powerful. The Uchiha clan had its own district for crying out loud, as did the Hyuuga clan! Also, from the relative sizes of the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans, I assumed the other clans were equally large, and that Konoha was more of a city than a village,**

 **A few names are borrowed from other anime/manga series, but that's all that's borrowed.**

 **The dates are XK-(insert number here) because XK is an abbreviation used to indicate when the Kurata Fall happened. XK indicates 'Kill Kurata' or 'destroyed Kurata,' the first clan to stand against the demons. For context, it's been around 1040 years since the calendar before the Kuratas went out of date among humans, and it is marked by the motion of the Sun, and not the Moon. The Kurata clan was not composed of humans, but of aliens—much like how Kaguya is from another dimension, they were too.**

 **I do not own Naruto, or any of the other anime/manga series you see referenced. I do, however, own the different species I created (the ones you don't recognize), so please, no theft.**

 **A-S-C-E-N-S-I-O-N**

 _ **Year of Our Lady of Light XK-539, October 15, 0600**_

(Forest in Tsuchi no Kuni)

He had woken up four days ago by the Kannabi Bridge, as he had last time.

And the time before that, and the time before that.

Always, right here. Right in enemy territory.

This time, he had woken up in armor. Bone-white demon armor.

Amaterasu-sama's gift, after his first death. It was styled like ANBU armor, but streaked through with blood-red, as all demon bone was. It served as a warning; that and his massive chakra reserves would keep marauding _akuma_ and curious _youkai_ from finding him.

However, this time, it also had a few green lines, ever-so-faint, that gleamed with Inari-sama's power. He smirked, recognizing it for what it was; an energy source, of natural, _sage_ chakra, however faint. Inari-sama had given him more than he'd realized.

He wasted no time in using the Hiraishin to leave enemy territory, and proceeded to run his way to Konoha from one of Minato-sensei's seals, near a main road. It was cloudy today, though not rainy; the rain was moving off to the west, judging from the wind in the air and how humid it was. It had rained last night, and the cloud cover had yet to move off. But he had more important things to focus on; he could not use the Hiraishin to return this time.

Nor could he identify himself to the rest of the village. He had tried that in all of his previous lifetimes, and had clearly revealed his true identity far too soon, even last time, to the village at large. Now though, he was Abarai Kenshin. Possibly for good this time, or at least until Inari-sama indicated it was time for him to reveal his identity.

At least now he looked nearly nothing like he used to. That would've been difficult to explain away to the Council.

And he was fully armed and equipped. He unsealed a mask from a scroll, one like Kakashi-baka's (which covered the lower face and neck), and with a sad smile, pulled it on as he ran, pulling it up over the Marks of Amaterasu-sama on his face. Hiding them, more than he had before.

He was going to have to prove himself as a Paladin to get into Konoha in the first place, like he had during his last two lives. He was within range of the chakra barrier around Konoha within five minutes. He slowed, feeling his chakra rise, sparking like a warm hearth fire, in response to the barrier. It let him pass without slowing him physically, recognizing his chakra signature; it had been made by a Namikaze, so he was expecting it would.

He walked right through the barrier, feeling his sword pulse twice as he passed through. He sensed it as all of the guards turned toward him at the gates, trying not to sigh as he realized how much he missed those idiots in the guard; Hagane Kotetsu in particular had been a close friend of his last time around.

And if he was lucky, they'd be friends again this time around, but he couldn't be sure. He'd changed a great deal since he'd seen them last.

"Halt!" called a Jounin whose signature he recognized—Chuunin, right now—Shiranui Genma.

The senbon-holding shinobi was— _kami_ , he was identical to the Genma Obito remembered meeting last time around. He was wearing a black bandanna over his hair, keeping it out of his face, and his hitai-ate was across his waist as a belt. He didn't have a Jounin vest on, only a Chuunin vest, and he looked stern, though without the pain of _loss_ as he'd lost Raidou midway through the war last time. He was close to making Jounin, at this point in time. And he was still holding that darned senbon, one of his favorite weapons, in his mouth.

"Where is your identification?" demanded Genma.

Behind his mask, Kenshin smirked to himself, producing it quickly from his pocket. Genma had tensed the second his chakra had been channeled; likely because the man was a sensory type. He hadn't recognized Obito yet, though, given how little they'd interacted in the Academy. The Jounin— _Chuunin_ , Kenshin corrected himself—narrowed his eyes, glancing between the passport's photo, and Kenshin's own multicolored hair, which had carried over from the Divine Realms.

"Abarai Kenshin," he said, frowning "You are unaffiliated with any village, with no nickname and no hitai-ate. Who are you affiliated with?"

Kenshin smirked beneath his mask "I have spent much of my life sticking to the shadows, and offering what help I may without payment. I am not the Black Death, of that you have my word, and may the _kami_ strike me down if I lie." He smirked, seeing the widening of Genma's eyes and the sudden parting of the clouds overhead. "I serve Amaterasu-sama, and Her word alone." Silently, he sent a prayer of apology to the other _kami_ depending on him. "I come bearing news your Hokage has need of, and I am sent to deliver Her will here, until such time as I am assigned elsewhere."

Genma opened his mouth, as if to ask him to prove it, only for the clouds to suddenly part, slowly dissipating as he felt the wind of Fuuijin-sama against his cheek, bringing the sunlight out from behind the clouds. The dawning sun was brilliant and visible overhead in the East, its rays somehow reaching Kenshin over the trees to illuminate him, and he could feel Amaterasu-sama's hand in the work.

Then another shinobi stepped forward, one with a great deal of _houriki_. If Kenshin had not been so changed, he would have been recognized by this man immediately; this was Namiashi Raidou, even now assigned as Shiranui Genma's partner, possessed a large amount of divinely powered _houriki_ , and he felt the Chuunin's sweep through him. Spiky hair was hidden behind a hood and the _Ghost_ mask of ANBU, within ANBU armor, but it was clear Raidou had felt that, from the sudden shift in his _houriki_ and _chakra_.

His voice was kept in a monotone, but even with that Kenshin could hear it shaking, "He speaks truth. He serves the Great Goddess; Her hand is upon him."

Moments passed in which Genma and the other guards, both Uchihas with their Sharingan active. They were scanning him, but were likely to see the Mark of Amaterasu on his chakra, where She had placed it when She revived him.

At this, the gates behind them emitted the sound of something unlocking. The door opened within the gates would only fit a 6'1" man through. At 6'4", he was very tall, and it appeared that the upper parts of the door hadn't been opened—or perhaps were inactive, given who had to be present to activate them. Namikazes had built this gate, with Uzumakis, and he would bet most of his savings that the Uchihas manning the original sealing array hadn't figured out how to open the other panels or activate the War seals.

Genma eyed him warily "Nanashi will escort you to the Hokage Tower," he said "Keep your peace, _Kishidan_ , else you will outstay your welcome."

Kenshin's smirk grew more pronounced "We'll see, Shiranui-san," he said, and Genma took a startled step back, shock flashing through his chakra and the chakras of the Uchihas on duty. "Nanashi-san, please guide me to meet with your Hokage," he nodded to Nanashi, who nodded and turned, starting to lead him through the gate.

Kenshin ducked to avoid hitting his head, only to find that to fit through he also had to turn sideways. His body type was rather rare among shinobi, though more common among farmers and samurai, due to their professions. It was a little annoying, but he'd have to remember to get Naruto to change the seals on the gate. In future years, they would run into many more like Kenshin, and it was rude to force honored guests to twist awkwardly around to fit through the gates.

He followed Nanashi through the main street, not taking to the rooftops, heading directly to the center of Konoha. All those who were awake at this hour were torn between gaping at him, likely due to his height, and staring at him as he walked past. He caught the scent of the other ANBU following him, this one Inu, and resisted the urge to grin. Kakashi-baka was still a part of ANBU at this point in time; he'd forgotten that detail.

What with how things ended last time, he couldn't wait to see his little brother again. For now, he was tempted to prank Kakashi-baka, but he refrained.

Instead, he maintained his calm, emotionless mask, as he always had in public last time. It was clearly unnerving Nanashi-san, given the way most shinobi and travelers acted relative to ANBU. ANBU were meant to be emotionless; other shinobi often did not hold to that standard.

That, and Kenshin had learned to project an aura of harmless calm when he was midway through his second try. It kept others from sensing his emotions with his chakra, leaving him one less 'tell,' and he'd taught Sunkit, Koneko, and Washi-chan to do it last time.

It had saved their lives more than once.

A terrified yowl sounded right before Kenshin yelped, Tora jumping into his arms and hissing angrily, holding on for a second before it met his eyes. No, before _she_ met his eyes, blinking up at him with wide, brilliant amber eyes. Suddenly, she stilled, recognizing the divinity surrounding him, and more likely, the blessings of Inari on him. He raised his hand, slowly beginning to pet the cat, as Nanashi turned, and let out a quiet gasp of amazement.

Tora did not respond kindly to anyone holding her. Kenshin had been on the receiving end of her fury many times; he was just as surprised as the flare shown in the other ANBU's chakra, though he didn't show it.

Why would she take to him this time? This time, of all times? Kenshin didn't really know how to explain it, but he was fighting the urge to laugh at the other ANBU, who seemed to be even more unnerved by the spectacle.

"Nanashi-san, am I to assume this cat is not normally so friendly?" he asked, chuckling as Tora batted at his free hand, flipping over so he could rub her belly and giving a demanding _mew_ to him; this amusement, he _did_ allow to pass through his empathic shield.

"No," said the ANBU stiffly. "She is quite the terror for our Genin teams, as I understand it, and hates being held or petted by anyone."

Kenshin stroked down her belly, tickling her a little as he did so "I have always been good with animals," he said, as panicked ANBU tended to get violent rather quickly. "They like me and they are often wiser than humans, in my experience," especially foxes, but cats often filled that niche for him as a child, since all dogs were cared for by the Inuzuka clan.

That, and foxes these days were more endangered around here due to the Kyuubi attack. He made a note to himself to look into the kitsune family Sunkit had picked up last time around, just in case something had happened to them.

Obito was still the only Genin who had ever been able to catch Tora and have her go back to her owner willingly, but that had been long before his Namikaze blood had awoken. Everyone else, aside from Minato-oji, had been torn to hell and shown it. Even his Kaa-chan hadn't had that ability, and the cat had _especially_ hated Kushina-oba, at least until they'd managed to bribe her. Minato-oji healed fast enough for Tora not to do much damage, which the cat _hated_.

She still went after Minato-oji at almost every opportunity when he was alive, as if to spite him for his healing factor.

Raidou gave a stiff nod "If," the ANBU said, albeit slowly. "You are not averse to it, I believe I know the Genin team sent after her this time. It contains an Inuzuka, and she is very much _not_ fond of them."

"Ah, are they the clan that partners with canines?" he inquired and Nanashi glanced at him, hazel eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Their leader, Inuzuka Tsume-san, has a reputation for fair treatment and honoring Amaterasu-sama's wishes, though I have never met her," as this was true, though based on rumors, Nanashi couldn't even appear to be surprised.

Raidou gave him a nod. Kenshin sensed what he was going to ask, long before the ANBU asked it of him, and decided to head him off at the pass.

"I assume it would create less havoc if I were to hand her over?" inquired Kenshin, as three Genin came barreling around the corner, with three large Inuzuka dogs in front of them. He hid his amusement, given that their sensei was roof-hopping alongside them and jumped down as they slowed, spotting their quarry. "It is a bit early for missions is it not?" he inquired of Raidou, as it was only 0630.

"Every sensei has their own view of too early," replied Raidou, voice monotonous, as the sensei leapt down from the rooftop to land before them.

Kenshin recognized him, as he'd died in an _akuma_ attack on Konoha when Koneko, Washi, and Sunkit were physically nearing the age of twelve. He was a civilian-born Jounin named Tamahome, 6' tall, raised by a Chuunin who worked in the hawk-messenger office. Short dark brown hair fell just over his Jounin headband, covering part of the Konoha symbol, and his eyes were hazel. He was rumored to specialize in Kenjutsu, but Kenshin had only come up against him after he'd been Turned by the vampiric _akuma_. Back then, he'd been wild and uncontrolled in all his motions, and easy enough to defeat; here, Tamahome was carrying a blade across his back with a tri-guard and blue-wrapped handle of _katana_ length and style, and appeared to be well-armed, though he bore the signs of Tora's special attentions. Curiously, he was also wearing a blue version of the traditionally green Jounin vest.

Tora hissed at him in displeasure, unsheathing some of her claws but not once biting into Kenshin's arm. That was even stranger; even as a kid, Tora hadn't liked getting near other people and would _make_ her displeasure known if he got her too close to anyone. Not this time, though.

His Genin team had consisted of Inuzuka Hana, the thirteen-year-old Inuzuka girl who was seriously scratched up, Yamanaka Haru, from a minor branch of the Yamanaka clan, wincing and rubbing at his temples, and a boy he only recognized from seeing the kid's death report in the same attack that had killed Tamahome. He didn't remember the kid's name, though. Kenshin's feelings disappeared in an instant behind his serene mask, shield back up, and he smiled at the sensei.

"I-ha-ha-how…" started Hana, as the Triplets, Shiro, Kurei, and Amaya all calmed, sitting in front of him as soon as they sniffed him, tails wagging, and Tora mewled once.

If he remembered correctly, only Shiro could talk at this point in time.

"Smells like Mom," said Shiro, as Amaya nudged his leg, making him chuckle, almost losing Tora, who gave Kenshin a displeased hiss.

"Behave," Kenshin said to the kitty, twisting his grip on her so he could keep rubbing her belly with one hand as he held out his fingers for Amaya to sniff.

Tora calmed instantly as Amaya sniffed his hand. She barked eagerly, batting her head against his hand and he glanced at Hana for permission. She seemed to be in shock, if mild, but nodded. He rubbed a hand down Amaya's head and she all but started _purring_ , rubbing against his left leg as he scratched behind one of her ears. Kurei and Shiro almost leapt over her to get even a hint of his attention, and he managed to pet all three of them, though not without the other two trying to muscle each other out of the way.

It was adorable, and it made him smile. A part of him warmed, and Kenshin's smile widened, feeling some of his worries dissipate in an instant. Animals still had the same effect on him they always had; he'd been afraid, after last time, that he'd lost that, but it looked like he hadn't.

"Okay, okay, back off, please," called Tamahome, and the Triplets stopped, giving him identical wounded puppy dog looks. "Not going to work, now back off, you three," he looked up at Kenshin, smiling hesitantly. "I am sorry about this, er…I don't think I've seen you around here before."

Kenshin smiled back, "No. You wouldn't have. I'm Abarai Kenshin, divine servant of Amaterasu-sama," he greeted, bowing without losing his grip on Tora, and she made a discontented _mew_ when she realized she was eye level with the Inuzuka dogs, who growled at her. Hana growled at them, and they quieted. "I apologize for disrupting your mission. I am actually here to speak with Hokage-sama, on a matter of divine importance. Nanashi-san," he gestured to the ANBU, "is escorting me to speak with him."

Tamahome nodded "I am Tamahome, these three's Jounin sensei," he gestured at the trio. "This is Inuzuka Hana, the Inuzuka dogs are Amaya, Shiro, and Kurei," he gestured at each of them in turn. "The blond is Yamanaka Haru, and this is Shui Souichirou." They each waved at him, and Kenshin gave them a small nod. "Our mission was to return to Hokage-sama with Tora, the cat, in hand. Er…" he hesitated, "She doesn't like returning to Lady Shijimi. At all."

Kenshin snorted "I have heard as much. May I propose a compromise? I can ask her not to give you trouble, _or_ I can carry her back for you until you need to take her." Tamahome glanced at his Genin, and Souichirou in particular appeared to have a deadened look in his eyes, like he was asleep on his feet.

"If you would not mind," started Tamahome, and then stopped. "Only, I offered to carry her, and she usually likes me. She nearly took my head off this time."

Interesting. He hadn't known that about Tamahome last time, only that he was assigned as Shingo's sensei before his death. Shingo hadn't actually had the chance to learn anything from him. No, no; Washi, he reminded himself. He couldn't use their names yet.

He glanced at Raidou, who offered nothing. Typical ANBU, though this time a sentence or two would've been appreciated, so he knew if he would get skewered for accepting the invitation. That had happened before, and the consequences were annoyingly long, drawn-out, and difficult to deal with, with any sort of patience.

"I don't mind at all," he said, "Animals generally like me. A lot. As in, I sometimes wake up on the road with several animals in my bedroll," he chuckled "Last time this happened, I woke up with an entire wolf pack around me."

That had begun happening last time, as it had happened every time, but this time Inari-sama's favor was more prominent and he had Their Blessing. The Blessing of Nature, combined with his love of animals, was likely why Tora adored him so much, and the Inuzuka hounds as well. They were well-trained; it wasn't their fault that he was Blessed.

"Good. You three, formation. Hana, control your partners," ordered Tamahome, "And my apologies, again, Abarai-san. I did not mean to disrupt your morning."

Kenshin smiled more noticeably, though Tamahome didn't seem to see it. "It's quite all right, Tamahome-san. I find it refreshing to speak with others, since I have been traveling for a long time on my own. Tell me, do you know of any good restaurants around here? Perhaps for a late breakfast? I know I will at least be here through lunchtime, but beside that, it depends on what Amaterasu-sama desires of me."

That was a flat-out lie, but Kenshin didn't feel guilty for lying about that; not anymore. He'd lost too much to telling the truth everywhere he could during his first try, not to lie to make things go his way now. And maybe, just maybe, he'd make a friend in Tamahome, before the Jounin died in the _akuma_ attack. He would like to have friends who trusted him even a little, but right now he had no one.

As usual, he had to start from scratch. And that was shaky until he got any form of custody over Sunkit.

Kenshin hated doing this on his own. He did a lot better with friends, or family, surrounding him, but he couldn't afford to tell anyone. And as Kenshin, it took him longer to earn their trust than as Obito—even if he'd lived too long to remain the Obito they remembered.

But anything was better than the Leech taking root.

Even living a thousand times, over and over again, to stop its advance was better than that.

Abruptly, he realized he'd missed something, as he heard "Meeting?" from Tamahome.

He stared at the other man, trying to figure out what had been said, but Kenshin had heard all of one word. Tamahome looked amused, and he could swear he felt Inu's chakra fluctuating with surprised amusement as well.

"Forgive me, my mind drifted," Kenshin said. "Please, would you repeat yourself?"

"Of course," Tamahome chuckled "My team just came back from a C-rank yesterday. I thought perhaps an early morning might get us started off better, but Tora-chan was quite upset today. Would you like to get breakfast with us after your meeting?"

His entire team turned to look at Tamahome with puppy dog eyes. Trying to get out of more training. Tamahome ignored it with ease, which meant he'd had them for longer than he claimed, at least officially. Kenshin wouldn't have put it past the man _not_ to take on students like his team unofficially, like he had tried to do with Shingo before he died.

Kenshin could hardly believe his luck. "Certainly," he said, "I have spent a great deal of time on the road alone, and human company after so long is quite welcome. I warn you now that I will likely be subject to a form of examination after lunch, if not sooner, and we may never lose my ANBU escort, depending on what the _kami_ allow me to impart to your Hokage."

Tamahome shrugged "You can't help it. You are the servant your gods have asked you to be," Kenshin felt warmth stir in his mind, with a hint of Lady Luck's scent in the air, and hid his surprise. Inari-sama's blessing was already at work. "Though I applaud you for your foresight. Have you been treated as such in other shinobi villages, Abarai-san?" he inquired.

"Ah, well, to be truthful," Kenshin shrugged. "I was informed of a few things when commanded to come here. And the reputation of this village is quite far-reaching, especially if one listens in inns around Hi no Kuni. Konoha is known both for their devotion to their family and close friends and their legendary shinobi, such as the Legend of the White Fang." Tamahome sobered at the mention, and Kenshin was reminded that this man was actually on Sakumo's Genin team, and the only one who had never blamed his sensei for changing his mind. "I apologize if I have hit a nerve, Tamahome-san."

"Not at all," Tamahome's smile was forced. "I am glad that such legends remain in the outside world. I would assume you are not informed of our village secrets, however, else Hokage-sama will be forced to detain you."

Kenshin almost laughed at the question; "No, I was only informed of my mission and the general welcome to expect, at least of Konoha's general information." With other things, of course. "I have been to a few of the smaller villages, but I was in training at the time, so instructed to act as a simple _houshi_ rather than Amaterasu-sama's own _Kishidan_. I am not blind to the temperament of shinobi, either, having run into a few of them in my travels." His eye roll was enough to surprise Tamahome. "Unfortunately, I was forced to knock them out, lest they become food for a swarm of _akuma_ I was fending off at the time. They erroneously believed that I needed help, and nearly became _akuma_ food."

He wasn't even wrong. He'd been forced to knock out an entire squad of Suna Jounin who were about to be sucked dry in order to intervene. He felt Raidou's chakra flare slightly in surprise, and Kaka-baka's certainly did, but he kept his attention on Tamahome. It was considerably rude to ignore his companion, after all.

Tamahome snorted "I assume, then, you ran into Chuunin. Jounin are trained to recognize the _akuma_ on sight," he said, and Kenshin shrugged, deciding to let it lie. Most Jounin couldn't take on A-ranked _akuma_ , and this one had been S-rank. "The mission desk is on the first floor. I will take her to Lady Shijimi, if you'd like?" he gestured at Kenshin's arms.

Kenshin didn't realize it, but he'd apparently been petting Tora the whole time. He looked down to see that the cat was now asleep in his arms, and unlikely to wake any time soon. He reached out tentatively, using his chakra, only to sense _contentment-satisfaction-warmth_ emanating from Tora-chan. Interesting.

Maybe she would befriend him, this time. He would certainly have to talk to Lady Shijimi about her ownership and care at some point, given how much Tora hated being coddled and treated like a human baby.

"Give my regards to her owner, and perhaps inquire after her care for me, please?" Kenshin replied, handing Tora over. "She seems to be frightened of something, else she would not be running away so often. Perhaps a talk with her owner, and explaining why she is so afraid, would help keep her from running loose so much."

Much easier to pretend he didn't know her owner, than to say he did. Madame Shijimi had learned many times from Kenshin how to properly treat Tora, but it had taken several complaints. Perhaps, from a civilian born and raised in the Fire Capital, she might listen. Or maybe not, given that a Kishidan was far more likely to have power over that.

Tamahome gaped at him in surprise for a second, and shook his head at him, accepting the sleeping cat from his arms. "I'll see you later, Abarai-san. About what time do you think you'll be finished?"

"Oh, no later than 10:30," Kenshin said, glancing at the clock. "Yes. I certainly do not expect it to take that long, but these meetings always take longer than I expect."

"I'll send one of my Genin to wait, then. Haru will guide you to Yakiniku's when you are finished," said Tamahome with a smile and a slight bow "It was nice to meet you, Abarai-san."

Yakiniku was a very good barbecue restaurant, but the prices were reasonable. It was also run by the Akimichi clan, and they were generally respectful to anyone who gave them business. Maybe, later, he could drop by Ichiraku's as well, just to check in on them.

Kenshin bowed back, a little deeper "And you, Tamahome-san."

He followed the ANBU to the third floor, noting all of the ANBU following him and surrounding him; easily there were twelve in the whole tower alone. Hmm. Perhaps over-guarded, considering some of them seemed curiously void when it came to emotion-based chakra, while the others were more neutral. The receptionist looked up, an older woman Genjutsu layered atop the Neko he remembered started in ANBU last year, Uzuki Yuugao.

Ah. So this was to be his welcome, then. She went by the name of Sato Kagura in this form; not that he was able to ignore the ANBU-level chakra, but she obviously fooled many Genin this way, and he would not take her fun from her. She would not be frightening him off, today.

Raidou inclined his head slightly to her "This is Abarai Kenshin, to see Hokage-sama on an urgent matter. He has proven that he is a _Kishidan_ , and unlike all others, beholden to Amaterasu-sama Herself."

Kenshin's smile and friendly demeanor did not falter "Greetings, and yes, I do come from the Lady of Light Herself," he said, with a friendly nod. "Amaterasu-sama instructed me to meet with your Hokage as soon as I was able, and I'm afraid that means the message is quite urgent."

He was not disappointed to see her frown and check the Hokage's schedule.

"I'm afraid he is busy until 10:00," said the receptionist in a frail, creaky voice. "This one is named Kagura, and would invite you to rest until then."

Kenshin's friendly demeanor faltered for a second, but he pressed, knowing it was no more than paperwork and a meeting with the advisory council. "You misunderstand me. This cannot wait, and if it could, I would have eaten breakfast first." A note of diamond crept into his voice "If I am not allowed to see him within five minutes, I am sure Amaterasu-sama will be most displeased. I was informed I was to make all due haste, lest the damage worsen before I could correct it."

Kagura snorted "I've heard that before," she said dismissively. "Wandering _Kishidan_ or no, he is in a meeting."

"Maa, I really didn't want to have to do this," said Kenshin mildly. In previous timelines, he had learned that the milder he sounded, the more other Jounin and ANBU listened to him. "However, this meeting must be interrupted. Please inform him, else I will break into his office myself." Kagura tensed, "I will not be kind towards those who attempt to stop me either. What I have to say is for your Hokage's ears, and his alone, and must be spoken of immediately."

This, he knew was _very_ urgent, given whose fate was being discussed in there at the moment. Naru-chan needed his protection from that law, no matter what happened. No matter if the ANBU distrusted him for longer; if that law passed, Sunkit would have a much harder time claiming his inheritance, and about half of it would be funneled into village funds before that time. He could feel the ANBU giving him a confused look from behind their masks, given how he'd acted with the children, but that was different.

Had he come too soon, Kagura would have been busy fielding screeching from Councilwoman Haruno. Had he come too late, he would not have been able to interrupt the meeting. The timing was important, and he had timed it perfectly this time around.

Or so he hoped, at least.

Kagura sighed, and got up "This one will speak with him. He may not take kindly to your demand."

Kenshin's voice grew steely "If he did not wish the Lady of Light to intervene, he would not have let things progress this far."

Kagura stiffened as she walked to the door and knocked twice. The door cracked open, and from within, Kenshin abruptly sensed Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo. Of course. He had never known who instigated the law, but now he did. Kenshin had not had time to do that research then.

She walked inside, and as soon as the door shut, Nanashi spoke.

"You were bluffing," Raidou said from behind him, and Kenshin put his anger back where it belonged, turning to regard the man with a raised eyebrow. "No man has that kind of skill."

Kenshin chuckled "Nanashi-san, if I didn't know better, I'd say you doubt me. I simply know when to choose my battles and none of you have seen me in action before." And with his speed, he'd have the advantage. "I do not intend harm upon you unless you deter me from my mission. Amaterasu-sama would not have sent me if I could not defend myself against shinobi of your caliber, to deliver my missive."

Nanashi nodded, the fear receding a bit "Of course. Hokage-sama is rarely busy this time of day; it is…odd that he would be so."

Kenshin knew what the problem was. The damned Council was going to try and stop him, of course, and he knew Neko would have difficulty getting him 'in,' but the Lady's word was law. Divine law, no less. One could disbelieve or naysay it all they liked; in the end, She won out over them. This time would be no different; even if he failed here, he would be back, at Her word.

And ultimately, not even the Elders would go against Her word. Not even for their own gain. The repercussions would be far, far greater if any ignored Her words.

 _ **A-S-C-E-N-S-I-O-N**_

 **(So, what did you think?**

 **Random Context Clues (to at least give you an idea of what's going on):**

 **Akuma are man-eating monsters who maraud around and attack human settlements, like 'traditionally evil' demons. Youkai are more animalistic, and closer to nature spirits, but can become corrupt and do the same for power. Akuma must eat some component of humans, even if they are mostly human, to survive unless they are 1/5 akuma, 4/5 human or less. Both are equated and discriminated against, despite being different.**

 **Miko-priestess (and not necessarily virginal, in this universe, because one must keep power in the family, of course).**

 **Houshi-priest (again not necessarily virginal)**

 **Admittedly, I might have mixed up these terms with 'shrine maiden' and 'monk' and if I have, please let me know and I will correct it. I'd appreciate it if you included the proper translations if you do correct me, though.**

 **Washi is Japanese for Eagle. Congrats to you if you figured out who this refers to.**

 **Houriki is Divine Ki, or Divine Energy, gifted to priests, priestesses, and other divinely-inclined shinobi; gift of Amaterasu. Houriki is not Reiki in this universe.**

 **Kishidan is Japanese for Knight, so far as I can tell. I assumed it was fitting, given that in some cases, Paladins are, for example, 'Knights of (insert order name here)' like in Dungeons and Dragons. Obito is this kind of Paladin.**

 **Physically, Kenshin's body is about 21. Timeline-wise, he died at age 14, not age 13, at least this time around. It's been roughly 8 years since he died, so assuming Kakashi is about 3-4 months older than him, Kakashi is 22, and for context, Hiruzen Sarutobi (the Third Hokage) is 56 this year. Homura Mitokado is also 56, and Koharu is 55. Kenshin himself is actually the oldest person alive in Konoha (he's more than 200 years old, not sure how old that makes him yet, in spirit).**

 **Note: Anything I skipped over will be included in exposition later. I don't intend to leave you guys hanging for an explanation on, say, what 'akuma' are which is why I put it in this description. I just think having a bit of context is good and I don't really have a term list for this story.)**


	3. Chapter 2: The Word of the Goddess

**(A/N: Kenshin has a long talk with Hiruzen Sarutobi about what is absolutely necessary. Hiruzen's about to receive the dressing-down of his life, and Kenshin's tired of screwing around. This is almost 6k of Kenshin dealing with the massive pile of junk that, politically, has happened in the village since Minato's death.**

 **Additionally, Kenshin has some divine magic, shows off a bit, and scares off some ANBU. He also makes the unexpected, helpful acquaintance of someone he's always considered an enemy, rather than an ally. Of course, that family curse sure hasn't been helping.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach either. Sorry guys. Chapter contains known Bleach elements.**

 **So, based on context clues and assumptions, the IT or T &I department doesn't just let someone walk in to see the Hokage easily or quickly. Nor do they let someone join a Hidden Village, especially with the World Wars and Akuma Wars on the books. (Yes, those exist too. I'll post a timeline of those if someone is curious.)**

 **Being a Kishidan affords you a considerable amount of political power in this universe, especially as they are so rare, and every Hidden Village is devout because the powers of the kami help protect them from the marauding akuma and youkai. With actual proof of gods, a place as devout as Konoha is going to let him do whatever he wants, within reason. Every Hidden Village leader is apprised of the situation and immediately meets with whatever Kishidan is around solely because they are so rare and their presence means a situation has gone straight to hell and there is no turning back.**

 **There are political consequences for these things, of course. There always are. I just decided to let the story progress at its own pace.**

 **Note: the approximate chapter number of this (when completed) story is going up as I write this because Kenshin enjoys messing with people.**

 **Warning: this chapter contains mentions of political corruption, power curtailment, and mentions of child abuse and mistreatment of a child, namely Naruto, and the memories of Kitten/Koneko (Usagi) and Washi (Shingo). There is no explicit abuse mentioned but it has been hinted at.**

 **Second Warning: Kenshin is not exactly like Obito. If you came here expecting anyone other than Smart, Manipulative Kenshin, this chapter is not for you. Nor is this story. Additionally, Kenshin is mourning the loss of his friends and family (again) despite being given time to heal.)**

 **A-S-C-E-N-S-I-O-N**

Not five minutes later, the door opened.

The three Councilors of the Konoha Ruling Council were standing on the other side, each of them visibly incensed, chakra signatures all flaring with discontent and even anger—not to mention a disgusting amount of greed in two of them. They were younger than Kenshin remembered, though not by much, much like Hiruzen at this age. They were still bowed by the horror of the last war, bent and aged under the burden that came with leading through it, and leading a village of shinobi in a time like this.

There was one, however, who felt particularly insulted, upset, and angry, though that emotion had no direction to it. This was the same chakra signature filled with no greed whatsoever. Curious. No matter how hard he tried, Kenshin couldn't pick that one out—he hadn't spent enough time with the councillors in his previous timelines to pick up the unique flavor of their chakras. He only knew it couldn't be Shimura Danzo, as the man was hopelessly greedy about any form of information, and, last he remembered, Naruto's own fortune as well.

The most changed from when Kenshin knew him last was Shimura Danzo. While he still had his dark hair, it was only lightly touched with gray, and he bore some scars, though they were not as bound up as they were past the Uchiha Massacre. He also had yet to receive the injury that robbed him of his right eye. He wasn't limping yet, either—likely something Shisui or Itachi had done to him, before Kenshin had really been aware of himself. Or maybe it was sustained during training sessions for his ROOT program. His dark eyes fixed on Kenshin as they walked out, chakra signature flickering with curiosity and a dark sense of greed.

Did he think he could use Kenshin…? Yes, yes Danzo did, with the way he was eyeing Kenshin.

With a bit of luck, Kenshin could prevent him from being too much of a problem. Maybe he could even use Danzo and his connection to the damned leech until the councillor proved to be no more use?

Utatane Koharu looked the most alike to her future self, or the version that Kenshin had grown used to dealing with. Dressed in a pink _kimono_ patterned with dark green leaves and white roses, her hands were fisted at her sides and she was scowling, dark brown eyes he remembered as warm and welcoming in little Udon-kun hard, suspicious, and icy. Her hair had gone gray at a young age, and was pinned up into a stern knot atop her head. She wasn't missing an eye yet, nor was she bearing the ragged _akuma_ claw marks across her face, but she was just as arrogant and cold as he remembered. Her chakra signature almost bit at him with its ice.

He'd forgotten that she was one of the few in the village with dormant _koorime_ blood and the ice affinity. She was a powerful shinobi and kunoichi in her own right, but she prided herself in not relying on her _Kekkei Genkai_ , though arguably, it fit her personality perfectly.

The last was Mitokado Homura, who was glaring at the other two Councilors. His spiky dark gray hair, no longer spattered with blood or liberally streaked with white, was ruffled, and he was wearing gray robes, with fishnet beneath. His glasses were even the same as the early ones Kenshin remembered. He looked annoyed, but felt insulted—though not by the interruption, as he was eyeing Kenshin's armor. His chakra signature was full of _houriki_ , but he was not greedy. No, unlike the oily feeling of Danzo or the biting cold of Koharu, he was almost…warm? Welcoming, even, once he mastered his anger.

Curious. Kenshin had not gotten along with him very well in their previous lifetimes. Perhaps this round would be different.

"And who might you be?" asked Homura, now smiling.

"How dare you interrupt our meeting?!" demanded Koharu, "Who do you think you are?"

Nanashi bowed, but Kenshin remained standing.

"Honored Elders," said Nanashi in a neutral voice "This one was instructed to bring this guest before Hokage-sama, with all haste, as was Kagura-san," He glanced over at Kenshin, and nodded.

Kenshin smiled, rising to his feet, taking note of the _shock-surprise-fear-amazement_ that shot through the signatures of the three Elders in the wake of their insult and anger. "Of course, Nanashi-san. My apologies," he bowed from the waist this time. "My business is quite urgent, else I would not have interrupted your meeting. I come bearing a message that cannot be ignored any longer. Any delay in its delivery is unacceptable by the Word of the Goddess Herself."

Danzo didn't appear to recognize his presence, but Homura bowed back, lower than Kenshin expected. "Honored Kishidan," he greeted, and Koharu's scowl disappeared almost immediately, as did Danzo's. "It is a pleasure to host you here. May this unworthy one inquire which of the _kami_ you serve?"

Interesting. Homura hadn't been quite so respectful last time. Perhaps this time, he'd be more likely to act as an ally. The last few times he'd done this, though, Kenshin hadn't had an obvious Mark—the one on and around his eye was the most recent, a _sakura_ blossom made of fire. The Lady's own symbol.

Kenshin brightened "I serve our Lady of Light, our Protector and the Defender, Queen of the _Kami_ , Amaterasu-sama."

This produced an even more unexpected result. Inari-sama's warm blessing burned in his chest, so warm it felt like he could breathe fire, and Homura's eyes widened before he bowed _extremely_ low before Kenshin this time, nose almost touching the floor as his chakra shielding flickered. He knew Mitokado Homura had _houriki_ , and quite a great deal of it, but to be a _priest_?

He'd missed too much, dying when he did on that last repeat. Damn that fucking— _bastard_ of a Leech! No _wonder_ Homura died early every time! The man was a fucking _priest of Amaterasu-sama_! The only reason he'd turned on Naruto was the Leech; now Kenshin was absolutely fucking sure of it.

"Then, as fellow loyal servants of Amaterasu-sama, and as Clan Head, Clan Mitokado offers you sanctuary, by the word of this one, Mitokado Homura," Homura said, when he rose from his bow. "You are welcome within the Clan compound at any time, and this one would like the honor of speaking with you, later, Kishidan-dono."

Apparently, by not mentioning _which_ god he served in his previous lives in an attempt to keep an upper hand over the Leech, Kenshin had lost out on a valuable ally. Homura was extremely devout, but he had never mentioned which _kami_ he served, and was constantly at odds with Kenshin when he was alive. Perhaps, though, Homura had…yes, Homura had supported Udon-kun's tutelage at Sunkit's hands, last time around. Just before he died. And his marriage to Moegi-chan, even when Koharu had been staunchly opposed to it. She'd wanted Moegi to marry one of the Hyuuga clan. Of the three Council Elders, Homura was one of the most progressive, and only played devil's advocate to make Sarutobi Hiruzen think.

Kenshin had accidentally made an enemy out of the man in nearly every repeat, save the last, and he'd always died too early for Kenshin to fix things. And even then, they had only been tentative allies. _Inari-sama_ , prayed Kenshin, _thank you_.

Kenshin bowed back "You may call me by name, Mitokado Homura-dono," he said, "I am Abarai Kenshin. If you would like to speak with me further, though, I do not know how long this will take. Ah, Tamahome-san has invited me to breakfast at Yakiniku's, if you would like to join us?" he offered as a compromise.

Homura smiled, and nodded "That would be agreeable, Abarai-dono. My grandson is on his team, and I would enjoy eating a late breakfast with him. I haven't seen Haru-kun for the past week."

Koharu seemed to have recovered from her shock, when Kenshin glanced at her, and she bowed from the waist. "M-my apologies, Kishidan-dono. I did not realize your identity. Of course, the Lady's word takes precedence over any meeting about village law." She rose, her face the expression of apology despite the seething anger and irritation within her chakra signature.

Still, he accepted the apology with a graceful nod "I understand, Honored Elder. One does their best to do one's job, and interruptions are difficult to deal with, especially in a position of power such as yours. I apologize as well for interrupting what appears to be quite an important session," he bowed again, perfectly even so as to be respectful but not overly deep.

"I apologize as well, Kishidan-dono," Danzo said stiffly, bowing to him, and Kenshin bowed back in acceptance. "Your message must be extremely important for you to interrupt our meeting."

And there was the Danzo he remembered, always trying to get someone to inadvertently give up information. Kenshin was no fool; he'd been playing this game for far too long to fall for that opening move.

Kenshin straightened, nodding to Danzo "You are not wrong, Honored Elder. But my message is for the Hokage's ears and his ears alone. Excuse me," he said, stepping out of the way.

The Elders turned, and as one began walking out, aside from Mitokado Homura, who sat down in the waiting area in one of the chairs, balancing a clipboard on his knee. Kenshin glanced at him, confused, but he waved the Knight off.

"No, no, Abarai-dono. I will wait, as you waited for me. I am not so rude as to abandon one new to the village," said Homura with a kind smile. "I will wait for you."

"It may take quite some time," cautioned Kenshin, but he was warming to the idea of Homura as an accomplice and even an _ally_ already. "I do not wish to make you wait overly long for breakfast, Mitokado-san. It is not good to miss meals."

"No, Abarai-dono, this is my duty," said Homura, pulling out a scroll. "And I have to go over the budgetary requests anyway to see which have proven extraneous. The chairs here are more comfortable than my office, anyway," he smiled at Kenshin. "Worry not. I will be occupied, and very well protected. And today I will have a real breakfast, rather than eating a quick pastry in my office."

Kenshin smiled, disliking the idea of making Homura wait, and nodded "Until my meeting is over, Mitokado-san," he said, but he disliked not telling the man anything.

Thinking quickly, he began considering if he might be able to talk to the man as he would the Hokage. His message would have to be different, but maybe—

"Kishidan-dono?" inquired Kagura, and he turned to look at her, "Hokage-sama is ready for you now."

No. No, he had to remember that this man, if pushed too far, would be someone who would easily oppose him on the matter of Sunkit's education, if not more, due to blind prejudice against someone who held the power of an _akuma_ trapped within him. Kenshin would have to remember that his new friends' loyalties would be tested far more than he expected, and informing them of _anything_ right now was a waste of his time. Homura's trust was a surprise, and definitely worth cultivating, but not at the expense of Sunkit. Or his mission.

And it might even get back to the Leech, given that none of them knew him well yet. At least he had a good month to set up before the damn thing followed him back. A month and a half, actually, he recalled with a smile. Oh yes, he could do a lot of damage to its plans, in that span of time.

Then the game would really begin.

Kenshin followed Kagura through the open door into the Hokage's office, resisting the urge to smile up at the familiar pictures on the wall. Over Hiruzen's head were four pictures, of the previous and current shinobi who had held the position of Hokage. His eyes first glanced at Hashirama, a man who had helped him learn to control his raging, newly purified chakra. Then Tobirama, who had passed on his gift of water manipulation, and then the current one. He paused last on Minato-oji, his beloved uncle and sensei.

 _I will not fail you this time, Minato-oji._ _Fight them in the Upper Realms, as you and Kushina-oba said, and we will finish the fight here on the ground._ _This time, we will not lose._ _I know you don't remember all of our failures, but I do, and I swear to you that I will not let this world fall again._

The Legions of Warriors spent much of their time working against the Leech's power and armies within the Realms of the Gods, against the warriors brought over from the other dimension by the Leech. His _oba-san_ was diametrically opposed to Lady Venus from that universe, and fought her forces at every opportunity with Minato at her side. His own oji-san was the General Mercury's counter.

Stopping the Leech's forces from entering their realm was their first priority. Taking time to train Obito was all the time they'd had, at least at the time they'd pulled him from his body. The times Amaterasu-sama had insisted on them training him had been some of the best of his life, but of course they couldn't be away from the true fight for too long. And Obito, diametrically opposed to the Leech itself, had joined in some of the fights during his training sessions. Learning strategy from someone opposing an evil _kami_ was one of the fastest ways to grow old in a hurry.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was just as Kenshin remembered; a man in his fifties, edging into his sixties, with crows' feet around his dark brown eyes, graying dark brown hair, and a stern expression on his face. He was bent, bowed under the weight of leading his village through not one but _two_ world wars, one in which he'd risen to power and one during which he had been forced to make the hard decisions time and time again. In his eyes, though, there was some light, even if it was dimmed by the memories of grief. His chakra signature felt like a warm patch of soil with sturdy rock beneath it, a pillar of sorts of support for the village, and was tinged with curiosity, annoyance, and if he wasn't mistaken, surprise.

The rising sun lit up his desk, upon which sat a few pictures, one of them a picture of his son and daughter, and another… Kenshin could have kicked himself for not looking sooner.

 _Another is of Kushina-oba's brother, Minoru Uzumaki._ It was not one he'd seen before, but he felt Inari-sama's warmth again as he looked at the laughing man, holding his wife—Hiruzen's daughter—high in the air, his brilliant red hair shining in the sun.

It only took a moment for him to understand what he'd seen, and he bit down hard on his tongue, drawing blood, to keep himself from saying anything. It would not do to frighten his old friend, for friends they had been in every life.

Naruto had family. Legal family who could have taken him in.

Oh, he was going to _kill_ Sarutobi Akemi if she had left Minato's son, _Kushina's_ son, behind on purpose. He doubted it, given how quick she was to stand behind Naruto once he'd been publicly claimed as the Uzumaki clan heir, but that didn't mean she hadn't doubted her own brother-in-law's sealing work.

Naruto had family, family he wasn't told about. Family that lived in the village.

Family that had been alive after the Kyuubi attack, from the looks of the portraits, which stopped including Minoru around the time Kenshin had been resurrected. This was the first time he'd seen them, but Kenshin recognized him. He might even be fucking _alive_ right now! And Obito hadn't ever met him!

Uzumaki Minoru had been one of his friends, closer in age to him than to Kushina-oba, but not by much, despite being his uncle. They'd been training partners, and he knew Minoru had been really broken up when Obito had died. Really, really broken up, enough that he had named Konohamaru after Obito's suggestion…and he'd never realized what that meant before.

He'd… _kami_ , he' d been so blind!

Blind to another cousin. To the existence of family.

Akemi had been a fresh widow every time he'd arrived in Konoha and Konohamaru looked so much like her that Kenshin had never bothered to fucking _question_ who the father was. He'd always had too much on his mind. And now he was paying for it, paying for not realizing when Minoru had died, for thinking Minoru had been killed in the Kyuubi attack along with Kushina-oba. He'd been wrong.

Kenshin blinked when he realized Hiruzen had spoken, attention returning to the present; "My apologies. I was lost in thought. What was that?"

Hiruzen chuckled "No harm done, Kishidan-dono. I invited you to sit," he gestured at the comfortable leather armchair across from his own.

That was also old, and yet new. Hiruzen had three of them set up, but there was only one that spoke of _houriki_ , and it was that one. Interesting. The Hokage's usual choice of office chair, for visitors, was fairly uncomfortable in comparison.

Kenshin smiled "Thank you," he said, taking a seat.

Even seated, he dwarfed the other man. He knew it was a power play, judging from how Hiruzen was seated; cross-legged, with hands steepled together, leaning forward on the desk. He looked calm and in control while Kenshin felt a little…awkward, given the size of the furniture. Maa, if only the ANBU wouldn't panic if he pulled out his own chair for this conversation.

"Kishidan-dono," said the Hokage, "I hear from Kagura-san that you are here on an urgent mission, from Amaterasu-sama herself. May I inquire as to what is so urgent that you could not wait for our meeting to end?"

Kenshin raised an eyebrow at him "The walls have ears," he said mildly. "I will not speak of my duties here to any who do not deserve to know. My message is for you and you alone, Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Hiruzen straightened "I have never met you."

Kenshin smiled, enjoying the confusion and surprise coming from the man "Your name is quite well-known outside of Hi no Kuni, I assure you. The Kami no Shinobi is a name not easily forgotten." He waited a beat, but there was no reply. "That did not solve our problem."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at Kenshin "You presume much, for a Knight of one unspecified _kami_."

Kenshin's voice grew milder still; "I really ought to ask the Temple what in the world they're teaching you these days, about recognizing godly servants. Have you even tried to guess why I am here? Or who I represent? Or are you simply guessing, grabbing at threads you have heard from Inu and Nanashi as they followed me around, and my actions since I have entered your village, seen through your crystal ball?"

He felt the entire room stiffen, alert and tense as he folded his hands in his lap, waiting patiently for a reply. His eyes locked with Hiruzen's as he felt them gleam, watching as the man's expression grew harder still, but he dared not speak _against_ a servant of the _kami_. Inari-sama's warmth shifted, and suddenly, Kenshin heard the rattling of dice.

His instincts told him it was a test of sorts, if his luck would hold. The dice were in the air, but hadn't fallen yet—he could alter this outcome, if he chose. He could do this.

Kenshin spoke again, softer "I am not simply able to sense _chakra_. Life force is impossible to hide, no matter how well you conceal it, and emotions are very telling. Even those without emotions require life, of some sort, to walk." The ANBU were still on edge, but he could tell they felt a little more at ease.

The dice tumbled, and came to a stop. Kenshin held his breath, ever so slightly, doing his best to keep a level, even expression.

This would definitely take time to master. He would have to pay more attention to the dice in the future. _Damn_.

Hiruzen spoke "Your message is for me," he said, slowly "And me alone?" Kenshin inclined his head. Hiruzen smiled, "Very well then. You are correct, Amaterasu-sama no Kishidan," he bowed his head slightly in deference, and Kenshin almost grinned at the man. "I apologize. I am normally more even-tempered, but dealing with the Elders' concerns about finances is…difficult."

Good. He had gotten Hiruzen to think. And this time, to come to a conclusion in Kenshin's favor.

"It's no trouble," said Kenshin, "But I would caution you to remember your training, for I doubt that I am the only Kishidan present in Konoha. I am simply the only one who has come and spoken to you directly at the will of the _kami_."

He sent up a silent prayer to the _kami_ for their aid in locating the four reborn Heavenly Guardians as Hiruzen quickly ordered the ANBU out with a flash of different hand-signs.

Kenshin recognized them as [This man is who he says he is. Leave us.]

When all left save one, Kenshin raised his eyes to look at the man "I meant all of you," he said, startling Hebi, whom he abruptly recognized. Mitarashi Anko…so she had been in ANBU even as a young Chuunin. "I cannot impart my message to any of the ANBU. I will speak with your commander, if they have any concerns about that, and reveal to them what I can after this meeting. I cannot pass messages through you, though."

Hiruzen glanced at the ANBU, and Hebi made a set of questioning seals at him. Kenshin pretended not to notice that she was asking for permission to listen in outside the door, or Hiruzen's refusal, and she walked out.

"I would ask that you allow me to ensure our privacy," said Kenshin, and Hiruzen's eyebrow went up. "I am in possession of a sound-nullification seal, one that prevents any and all words spoken within its bounds from being heard from anywhere more than five feet from the seal. This includes listening seals, though I am not permitted to teach it," he tried not to chuckle at the crestfallen look on Hiruzen's face. "I will agree to a trade of sorts if you wish, but this seal in particular is Divine Magic, and can only be used to its fullest extent by a devoted servant of Amaterasu-sama. I do have some skill with Fuuinjutsu, though, and I'm certain we can come to an agreement about learning the less divine Fuuinjutsu I know."

Hiruzen swallowed, composing himself, and nodded.

Kenshin as he retrieved a brush and a spare slip of paper from his pocket. He pricked his finger, swabbed the brush in the resulting blood, and let it heal, drawing the seal with a few short, swift strokes, ending with the last edge. The end result was a rune of sorts, one depicting a rising sun, with a few Divine symbols for 'silence' and 'secrets' within it. When he'd finished, connecting the first and last brush strokes, he felt the seal settle into place.

Hiruzen glanced at the seal expectantly as he removed the blood from the brush "It's active?"

"It activated the moment I finished it," said Kenshin, eyes hardening. "We need to speak about this village. And more importantly, about your role _in_ it, Sarutobi Hiruzen. And I did not think you wanted your village to hear this."

Hiruzen frowned "What do you mean?"

Kenshin took two breaths before he next spoke, to regain his mild speech "I would hardly call this a place of love and light, Hiruzen. Amaterasu-sama is highly displeased with Konoha for mistreating her Champion, and his friends. She sent me here to rectify this. Do you know who her Champion is?"

Hiruzen stammered "E-erm, no, I-I'm afraid I don't," he stammered.

"His father was the Yondaime Hokage. His mother was your daughter-in-law, by marriage," said Kenshin, keeping his voice very mild, and Hiruzen went pale. "I know not why you insist on erasing the Uzumaki clan from history, but She is not pleased by this, nor is Shinigami-sama. They have been receiving Uzumakis in _droves_ in the Otherworld, and all of them are quite _angry_ with your work with young Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. Your village is losing its light, and its Champion will die in the next two years if you do nothing. I am here to tell you that I _can_ and _will_ remove the survivors of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans from this village, should they prove worthy, or I will destroy the remains. I am a _Shigosuro Kishidan_ , Hiruzen."

"A Guardian Paladin," murmured Hiruzen, head dropping into his hands. "I can't be more thankful," he breathed, and to Kenshin's amazement, he was crying, "That Amaterasu-sama intervened. I—I have done _my best_ to care for him, but my daughter can't risk getting too close to him without getting her son in the riots," he sounded choked up and horrified. "I can't stop the Uchiha, and M-Minoru's—he won't even look at the boy, and nearly walked out on my daughter when she mentioned helping him. The civilians and the shinobi alike curtailed much more of my power when I came back to power than I realized. The Daimyo changed, and the civilian council gained a _great deal_ of power thanks to him. I am allowed jurisdiction over shinobi, _only_ shinobi, and the village's defense. They _claim_ that a powerful _akuma_ , locked in a human form, is what is drawing all the _akuma_ attacks down upon us," he looked up at Kenshin. "I have failed him, Kishidan-dono. I have taken him everywhere I can, even placing a permanent guard rotation on him and at every turn I'm blocked. What would you have me do? I don't want to lose my grandsons, either of them, but if I remove the information ban on the Uzumaki clan, Uchiha Fugaku has assured me he will kill the child and I will not ever be able to prove it. It's all I could to do keep the child out of ROOT, where Danzo would be able to use him as a berserker, and little else. Minoru agreed to take on our last name, at his wife's urging, to keep our family safe."

Which meant the Council (and Uzumaki Minoru, whom Kenshin was going to prank out of house and home for this because Kushina _was going to murder him in the afterlife_ ) had him between a rock and a hard place. And most of the general populace was behind him, likely including the Temple, because Jinchuuriki were often viewed as such—human jailers, yes, but needing constant _miko_ and _houshi_ guardians to keep them on their toes. Never mind that the _bijuu_ were, in fact, Taiyoukai who could overpower _akuma_ ; they were viewed the same way those monsters were.

Kenshin clenched his hands together, feeling his knuckles crack, "Your power has been curtailed? How can you take it lying _down_ like this? You _are_ the most powerful shinobi in this village, _are you not_?" he demanded.

"If I did not step into the Hokage seat, the Uchiha and the Hyuuga would have gone to war not days after the Kyuubi attack," Hiruzen said, looking up with tear tracks on his face. Kenshin had never confronted the man so early; yet clearly, he'd needed to! "They hate each other. Hiashi nearly killed my grandson the last time I tried to confront him about the Caged Bird Seal. They know he is precious to me, just…not _how_."

Hiruzen was thoroughly ashamed of himself right now, but this was the best spot to begin. He grieved, he loved, and—he was _genuine_. He had not been lying. He was hurting over the betrayal, hurting over the loss of what seemed to be both his own grandson by marriage and his son-in-law by trying to protect both of them, and he was trying to keep the village from growing too…well. Kenshin would deal with that later.

After all, the Massacre was not his duty to stop. Even if it killed people he loved. Kenshin would only save those he could, those he knew were not disrupting his own duty—he had no love for the Uchiha clan, not with the pain they'd wrought on him and on everyone in his life, including his beautiful _kisaki_.

Kenshin paused "Well then." He took another breath "Amaterasu-sama's displeasure is not solely with _you_ , Hiruzen," he revealed, and Hiruzen slumped in relief. "Not entirely. She is displeased that you let so many gain power when you were first in office, but after such a tragedy, She understands that many humans do not act rationally. However, this is far-reaching, much farther than a simple _akuma_ or _youkai_ contained within a human body, or petty political squabbles in this village. This will affect the fate of the world itself."

This, he felt he _could_ reveal, given that the dice weren't rolling in his head, and all he had was a faint sense of warmth where that part, newly awoken, lay. It would work in his favor to have both Hiruzen and Homura on his side. He needed a base of allies from which to work, no matter where he began, and this was where he had to start.

Political maneuvering.

 _Kami_ , he hated and enjoyed it all at once (because he got to mess with people's heads), but he was damn good at it, due to centuries of practice maneuvering around the clans in past repeats. He had enough experience to know how this would go, so he chose his words carefully.

"She is displeased as a whole with Konoha, and has informed me that, if I am to remove Her Champion, Konoha will fall within three years. But She has asked me to try and save Konoha," he sighed. "And, truth be told, quite a long time ago, this village was also _my_ home." The warmth sang in his mind, and Hiruzen stared at him in shock. "I was Chosen partly because of my connection to Konoha. I am, first and foremost, to protect Her Champion, and any other charges She adds to my instructions, and aid in the restructuring effort of this village. Besides," he smirked, "Naruto would hardly survive out in the wilds with only me to defend him at this age. Far better to stay where we're protected."

Hiruzen sighed "That may be difficult," he cautioned, and Kenshin raised an eyebrow at him. "Divine Word," he muttered, shaking his head "Right," now he was smiling. "I forgot, you have a divine mission. For this, you will need to be enrolled in the Shinobi Corps. About what rank are you?"

Kenshin smiled politely "With all due respect, Hiruzen-san, I was also chosen for my combat prowess. I am likely to be able to defeat you without even coming near a mortal death blow." Hiruzen raised both eyebrows, surprise flickering through his chakra, and Kenshin smirked, aware the expression was visible through the mask. "I see you do not believe me. How about this?" he countered "You consider me 'on trial' due to my Mission, and understand that nothing can truly interfere it. Leak my status as a Kishidan, but not a Shigosuro Kishidan, and you, er, _look the other way_ when I kick ass in defense of Naruto."

It wasn't the first time he'd fielded this plan. He knew it wouldn't work out in his favor, but maybe, with the favor of Lady Luck, something would. Faintly, Kenshin thought he heard the sound of a woman laughing.

Hiruzen chuckled "I like you," he said, shaking his head. "Straightforward and simple. You remind me of Minato," he sobered. "I cannot simply let you kill people indiscriminately, broken law or not. The Uchiha clan will intervene, and the _kami_ know I can't afford that. I will, however, allow you to bring them to ANBU and have them executed for treason." _Good_. "As to the trial period," he sighed. "Kishidan-dono, how about this? We agree to put you on trial to join our Shinobi Corps _while_ publicizing that you were brought here in the service of one of the _kami_ , simply not which one. Of course, you may reveal that at your own discretion," explained Hiruzen.

Kenshin snorted, remembering how that'd gone over last time. He'd been surrounded by well-wishers and people trying to get into his good graces. Still, as far as plans went, it wasn't particularly terrible. Just not something he wanted to deal with again. Maybe it would be better to join as a freelance priest?

His Blessing of Luck nudged at him again, pushing him away from that path and Kenshin sighed, knowing that Hiruzen's suggestion wouldn't work for him. Gods above, he was going to be here all morning, if not longer. He hoped Homura wouldn't spend too long waiting for him.

"Perhaps I should explain my mission in more detail," said Kenshin, frowning at Hiruzen, "Because I think you will understand why I can't accept that, once I do. Are the Uchiha being particularly problematic?"

"There has been tension," allowed Hiruzen, but he didn't give any more away. Damn. "But please, what is your mission, that I might help you complete it?"

Kenshin took a deep breath, and started at the beginning, leaving out the repeats. Best not to give that damn thing any more ammunition, and besides, he wasn't really sure he wanted to admit to Hiruzen that he was well over two hundred at this point, with the amount of training and re-training he'd been put through after each failure.

It would take him two hours to realize he hadn't introduced himself to Hiruzen.

In that same length of time, he'd have explained as much as he could of his mission, and obtained permission to shove Uzumaki Minoru's head into reality, with a divine summons if he had to, because the man was far too focused on his grief these days. And Kenshin really needed an ally. He would love for a family, but an ally was enough, for _now_.

He would also have gained full citizenship in Konoha (streamlined by the Hokage) to be completed upon his T&I appointment and subsequent testing, the permission to search for an apartment, and unofficial custody of Naruto upon completion of his appointment, testing, and approved entry into the Shinobi Corps. All in all, it was a fairly productive meeting, and Kenshin had gotten everything he wanted. Hiruzen, on the other hand, gained an ally and, to all appearances, an extremely powerful shinobi to join the Corps.

 **A-S-C-E-N-S-I-O-N**

 **(A/N:** **If there is an excess amount of description, someone please tell me? I intend to go back and rewrite this when I am more certain of what Kenshin needs and doesn't need to think about, this is just some of the 20k or so that I wrote for this fic over the last year. I am having difficulty self-editing and keeping Kenshin as he is.**

 **Koorime-Ice Maiden; Youkai (in this universe); counterpart in akuma is known (at least slang-wise) as an ice succubus or Ice Queen. The Ice Maiden bloodline gives you the ability to use a secondary fusion element (ice) naturally, WITHOUT struggling to work out the combinations exactly so that your nature-chakra doesn't explode in your face.**

 **Shigosuro-Guardian. To be a 'Guardian Paladin' one must be chosen very specifically for a mission of that kind by Amaterasu Herself. Kenshin is the only one in recorded history since the days of the Sage of Six Paths (whose teacher was rumored to be one) and (as is known in the realms of the gods) Amaterasu stopped creating them after one of them became an Oathbreaker for the sake of power. Guardians are meant to stand at the gates, to defend their charges until their very dying breath, and are generally incredibly devoted to their charges. Guardian Paladins are generally regarded as the rarest (given that the kami don't usually gift divine protection to just about any random person or place) and are both the strangest and strongest paladin specialization. Guardians spend the longest time in training and their tests before they are allowed 'back' into the world are also among the hardest.**

 **Oathbreaker-A paladin who has forsaken the oaths they took to whichever of the kami (can be many, or few, or only one) they took oath(s) to. Oathbreakers cannot use all of their Blessing powers (i.e. Inari's Luck, given to Kenshin) but in turn gain twisted, dark powers drawn from the Void where their Oath used to fill, as it shatters their connection and leaves them wide open to divine powers. Oathbreakers are hunted by Vengeance Paladins, who are often chosen specifically to kill certain enemies of the kami. However, Oathbreakers are only as powerful an Oathbreaker as they were as a Paladin. They cannot die, but must be destroyed or brought back into the faith, in order to wind up in the Shinigami's domain. To kill an Oathbreaker a sworn paladin/priest has to overload them with holy energy.**

 **Champion of Amaterasu-Spoilers, but this refers to a living person Amaterasu has chosen as Hers. It makes more sense when you read more of this, and this will be revealed to Naruto as he grows up.**

 **I'm going to write in some other changes as well, so don't worry. The next chapter is shaping up to be about 7k, which is the midpoint length I'm aiming for, for most of my chapters. The pacing will also pick up, but a lot of this is Kenshin playing mind games with Konoha shinobi because he copes by trolling people.**

 **I apologize that the story updates after long pauses; Real Life (and other inspiration sources) keep getting in my way. Worry not, though; NONE (yes, NONE) of my stories are on hiatus, not even the unposted ones. I'm just really busy and keep signing myself up for more things because I see free time as a space that needs to be filled with something to do.)**


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